Sally Delap- John

Biography

At the early age of five, Sally literally “pedaled” (on tricycle) her small pencil sketches to the neighborhood in rural Minkler, California. Her affinity for art smoldered through early years and began to blossom during a year’s study in Florence, Italy. Completing a B.A. and M.A. at Fresno State University, she took a teaching position in Australia. The fields of study during college of geography and art found ground for the next few years. Several years after returning to the U.S. she found the combination of teaching at the local community college and teaching students on independent study allowed time to take a few more classes in watercolor and later oils.

As a fledgling artist Sally joined and served on the boards of many local art associations: Society of Western Artists, Alliance of California Artists, Kingsburg Art Council, Kings River Arts Council, Sanger Art Guild. She served as the gallery coordinator in Kingsburg and also for The Art Stand, a co-op near Minkler, that she co-founded. She is a former member of the Door Art Gallery in Fresno, and the gallery artist for Cedar View Winery. In New Mexico, she served as president of the High Road Art Tour, 2014 – 2016. She is a past artist for Manitou Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Currently she is a gallery artist at “The Art Hotel”, La Posada de Santa Fe and The Madelaine in Telluride, Colorado.

Sally has earned many awards and has been asked to judge her peers. Special honors include acceptance in California Watercolor Association National show; a 40-piece one- woman show at Fresno City Hall; participating in two select shows honoring Fresno history; being published in The Vernacular Architecture of Fresno County; and being acknowledged as a contributor for the Scenic Highway Proposal for Highway 180 in eastern Fresno County. In 2009 pieces were accepted with Taos Gallery, International Show, Taos, NM. In 2016 her first New Mexico solo show featured 17 vibrant oils of New Mexico. 2016 also saw the purchase of a major piece, Sangre de Cristo Chapel, through the Art in Public Places program of New Mexico. In 2018 Sally had a major retrospective solo show of 70 pieces at Hanford Art Center.

The enchantment of New Mexico is deep for Sally Delap John. After many years of seeking new horizons, the mountain villages of northern New Mexico have become home.

She has produced six small booklets of art featuring the surrounding beauty in Fresno County: Recipes Along the Blossom Trail – a collection of sketches plus recipes; Savoring Minkler – full-color of Sally’s paintings and a light history. Truchas Tales, parts 1 and 2, are out of print, stories and paintings of life on the High Road to Taos. Seasonal Colors Along the High Road is also out of print. Two newest books are self-named, Sally Delap-John, one a larger version to go with the 2018 solo show.
Sally has been a featured artist in the following magazines: New Mexico, Southwest Art , Western Art Collector.

Exhibitions:
Cowgirl Up, Wickenburg, AZ, Western Desert Caballeros Museum
Mountain Oyster Club, Tucson, AZ
Art in Public Paces, Rio Grande Color, 36 x 36 purchase
Sedona Plein Air Art Festival
A Painted Tale of Truchas Solo Show, Truchas Chapel, 80 pieces, Western Art Collector Upcoming Shows
Abiquiu Inn Milagro Painters, September, October, Southwest Art Magazine.
Taos Plein Air Painters show, Stables, Taos Founding member 2009
Western Art Collector – Cowgirl Up Article March

Galleries:
La Posada de Santa Fe

Affiliations:
Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, Women Artists of the West, Oil Painters of America
2011 – 2022- High Road Artisans Board Member – Vice-Pres 2013, Pres. 2014-2016,
2011 – 2016 High Road Market Place Board Member